Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky formally admitted for the first time on Saturday night that the Ukrainian military launched cross-border attacks against Russia. Zelensky stated in a national address on Saturday night that the Ukrainian military is pushing the war onto the “aggressor’s territory.” He said in the video, “Ukraine is proving that it can indeed restore justice and ensure necessary pressure on the aggressors.”
This announcement marked Zelensky’s first formal acknowledgment of Ukraine’s cross-border attacks, which surprised both Russia and Ukraine’s allies. The Ukrainian military initially began direct attacks on Russia’s Kursk region, bordering Ukraine’s Sumy region, last Tuesday night. This is the largest cross-border attack initiated by Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, signifying a significant strategic shift for Ukraine.
In his Saturday speech, Zelensky thanked Ukraine’s “warriors” and stated that he had discussed operations in Russia with the country’s top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi. Ukraine later expanded the scope of cross-border attacks, targeting Lipetsk region in Russia on Thursday night. The governor of Lipetsk described it as a “large-scale” drone attack, resulting in nine injuries, temporary evacuations, and the region declaring a state of emergency.
Throughout the ongoing war of over two years, pro-Ukrainian groups consisting of Russians have conducted brief cross-border attacks against Russia. Ukraine has also conducted airstrikes in the Belgorod border region multiple times. However, this week’s cross-border attacks mark the first time Ukrainian regular forces and special operations forces have entered Russian territory.
The battle is ongoing, with Russian forces seemingly trying to halt and repel the Ukrainian advance as of Sunday. Governors of Kursk, Voronezh, and Belgorod regions reported that Ukrainian drones launched attacks on Saturday night, but no injuries were mentioned. Russia stated on Sunday that they thwarted the attacks launched by Ukraine using drones and Tochka-U tactical ballistic missiles.
Simultaneously, Russia launched drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital. According to local officials in Kyiv, on Sunday morning in Brovary, east of the capital, a four-year-old boy and his father died in Russian attacks, and another child was seriously injured.